One Drop Of Blood
by mrscarstairs
Summary: Jem and Tessa are pulled back into the Shadow World with a vengeance when Emma Carstairs comes barreling into their lives, bringing with her the demons they have all tried to bury, and a plan for revenge against the monster that killed her parents.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yo! So, I know I still have to finish Shadow Self, but I'm in a writer's block for that, so in the meantime, enjoy another multi-chapter, post-Clockwork Princess fic! This takes place about 8 or so months since the events of City of Heavenly Fire, and since we don't know yet when that ends, I can't set an exact date. **

**This story is going to revolve around Emma and Jem's relationship (as well as some Jessa, 'cause, hey, it's me). They are the last of the Carstairs family, and I thought they should have a special relationship. Now, that may not happen in the TDA books, but I can pretend. (For those who don't know, Emma Carstairs will be the main character in The Dark Artifices series, also by Cassandra Clare, coming 2015). **

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot I came up with for the fic.**

_Just do it, Emma. Just recite the words._

Emma Carstairs gripped the piece of notebook paper in her small hands even tighter. Her legs were shaking, her feet were cold, and it was as dark inside as the night sky beyond her window, but she ignored all of this and focused solely on the only few words that stood between her, and Jem.

Between her and inevitable embarrassment.

Never, in her short life, had Emma ever asked for help. In fact, the only time she had even accepted any aid was during her parents' deaths, when she was too shocked and distraught to even lift herself from her bed. It had been eight months since that day, and though Emma had succeeded at feigning happiness—or at least mild content—in front of the Blackthorns, rarely could she make it through the harsh nights without crying herself to sleep, and later waking up from a night terror filled with the screams of her mother and father.

Emma buried that thought from her mind and whispered the Latin incantation written on the paper, praying that it would work. But it had to; Tessa said it would.

"_If you ever want to see us again, or rather, Jem again," Tessa had told Emma with a laugh, "just recite this phrase. Magnus Bane cast a spell so that every time you speak those words, a portal will emerge that will take you to us, no matter where we are. Whenever you need us, we'll be there."_

Emma had shrugged it off at the time. She had barely known Jem then. In fact, she had recognized him mostly as Brother Zachariah, until the day he revealed he was a distant cousin of hers—or something. They hadn't quite figured out how they were related. But they bore the same last name, so Emma knew he was family, however distant. And family meant looking out for one another.

A green glow slithered onto the paper, and Emma glanced up to find a small circle of light forming on her bedroom wall. She smiled when she realized that Tessa had not been lying, and that a portal truly had appeared in front of her. It burned her eyes, and she shielded them as she placed her foot against the wall. She gasped as she found that her foot could travel straight through the plaster as if it were made only of mist and shadows, and with one more push, she launched herself into the portal.

She awoke to find herself sprawled on some rough carpet in a dimly lit hallway. Upon further inspection, she identified the redundant flowery wallpaper and fancy lights as that of a typical hotel's, and assumed that Jem and Tessa were asleep in one of the rooms on that floor.

_How am I supposed to figure out which room they're staying in?_ Emma let out a frustrated sigh and collapsed back onto her butt in defeat. She picked at the carpet before pulling out her cell phone and sifting through the contacts. Eventually, she came across Jem's number, and paused.

"Eh," she said aloud, and her voice echoed across the empty hall, "Jem can sleep when he's dead."

She brought the phone up to her ear, listening to the ringing and imagining Jem's face when he saw who was calling him at two in the morning.

"Emma?"

She grinned and shouted into the phone, "GOOD MORNING!"

Jem's voice was groggy with sleep, but it sharpened suddenly when he must have seen the clock. "It is two in the morning, Emma. What on Earth…?"

Emma didn't feel like explaining. "What's your room number?"

"Two-twenty-three…Wait, how did you know I was—" Emma waited while Jem put the pieces together, slowly. "Emma Carstairs, this had better be good."

Emma giggled into the receiver. "I'm outside your door. Grant me entrance, oh Great Sensei."

Jem sighed deeply, and Emma identified the sounds behind the door as his shuffling feet. Finally, she was greeted with Jem's tall, willowy figure standing—or rather, leaning—on the threshold. His black hair was tousled and unkempt, and his eyes were only half-open, but she couldn't deny the disgruntled look on his face as he took her in, still wearing her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas. Granted, she didn't care for the design, but they were soft and too big for her hands, so they kept her warm and cozy during the colder nights.

"Tessa's asleep still, so we'll have to talk quietly," he said, rubbing at his eyes. She could just make out the Marks on his arms, a lacework of black and white on his pale skin. Someday she hoped to have just as many trophies on her body. Once she finished her training, of course.

Jem's eyes softened at the sight of her, and Emma couldn't help but return his smile. She had trusted him since the moment she met him as a Silent Brother, which was rare for her. As a Shadowhunter, she had grown up being told constantly that trust was a rarity, a precious gem that you could forge into a weapon, and as her mother had put it, "a double-edged sword that could kill you just as easily as someone else." And yet, Emma was enamored with Brother Zachariah immediately. She had felt drawn to him from the moment he had entered the room, clad in his Silent Brother robes. Where others had shrunk in on themselves and scattered at his presence, Emma had been intrigued by his gentle voice and soft hands. He had tended to a wound on her chest that day, brought on by a demon she had not meant to encounter, and she had not forgotten how he had calmed her so easily through his words alone.

No, all warnings about trust had flown out the window after meeting Jem. He was someone that literally everyone trusted, from the Blackthorns, to various Downworlders, to the Council. She certainly wasn't the only one his kindness had touched.

"That's fine," Emma said, "but first, can I have something to drink? My throat's so dry it's gonna start sprouting cacti."

Jem's brow furrowed at her odd statement, but he simply shook his head and waved her inside, putting his finger against his lips to tell her to stay silent. She complied, and took in her surroundings as they walked through the small foyer and into the suite. There was a small kitchen to the left of the bedroom, and Jem led her to it before she could start snooping. As he reached into the back of the small fridge, Emma spotted a couple bottles of wine lying on the ornate marble counter, and snatched them just as Jem closed the door.

"Which one of these will get me drunk faster?" she asked out of pure curiosity, holding up the bottles, one in each hand.

Jem rolled his eyes. "That is the last thing you need in your system, M & M," he said, tugging them out of her grasp and tossing her a tiny green box.

"A juice box, really?" Emma frowned. "C'mon, Jem, I'm twelve, not five."

"I bought them so I could be prepared, since you've decided to make these nightly visits a regular thing. It's either that or hotel water. Make your choice."

She hated water with a passion, so with a small grunt of defeat, she accepted the juice and jabbed her straw into the pouch. They headed towards the kitchen table while Jem spoke.

"So why exactly did you come over at two in the morning?"

Emma sipped her juice and contemplated exactly how she was going to word her answer. She didn't want Jem getting the wrong idea, like everyone else in the Institute had. "I need help," she answered finally. "Julian asked me to be his _parabatai_."

Jem's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he kept his eyes trained away from her so she couldn't quite see his reaction. "Have you said yes?"

"Well, I was planning to," she replied, nibbling on her straw. "But when I told everyone at the Institute, they said I shouldn't."

Jem nodded. "Did they now?"

"They said I am too young to have a _parabatai_ yet, especially one who's a boy."

Jem sat with his elbows on his knees, his dark eyes watching Emma so intensely that she couldn't help but shift nervously in her seat. "Are they all saying that?" he asked, his voice soft.

Emma tossed her hands in the air wildly, making sure to keep ahold of her drink. "Apparently you aren't allowed to have a friend who's a boy," she answered, "without falling in love with him eventually."

"Yes, but if you are considering becoming his _parabatai_, then you should take this possibility into account. You know that it is—"

"Against the Law," Emma finished for him, allowing some annoyance to tinge her voice. "Trust me, I am aware of this already."

Jem smiled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. Emma snorted and pulled away, shooting him a cold glare. She hated it when he messed up her hair, though she doubted she looked very menacing in her cartoon pajamas, gripping a cold juice box in her hands.

"Just think it over, all right?" Jem insisted, his mouth still turned up in a half-smirk. Emma sighed.

"Fine," she said. "But I still don't get why you and everyone else are beating me over the head with this." She paused, a sudden epiphany dawning in her mind. "Wait, were you in love with _your parabatai_?"

Jem laughed. "Yes, actually."

Emma's eyes widened. "Really?"

"No."

Emma scowled. "Stop making fun of me."

"I'm not, M & M." Jem leaned back in his chair. "I just want you to be careful. I care a great deal about your safety and I want you to put a lot of thought into this decision. Julian is a sweet boy, but you are fairly young to be committing yourself to such a relationship."

"I'm not getting married," Emma snapped.

"It's a lot like that, though. And you can't just leave him when you get tired of him."

Emma sucked the last remnants of her juice before crushing it and throwing it in the trashcan. "You were only thirteen when you agreed to be Will Herondale's _parabatai_, right?" She knew she had him by the sudden tired look on his face—or perhaps that was because he'd only had a couple hours of sleep. Either way, that was one argument he could not defend himself against, though she knew he would try.

"Yes, but the circumstances were a little different with Will and me," he explained, running a hand through his hair. "I don't want to get into it right now, Emma."

Yes, she knew she had hit a sore mark by bringing up Jem's late _parabatai_. She was still gathering information from him about his past life, but so far she had garnered that Will was a very important person, and one that had affected both Jem and his girlfriend Tessa in some big cosmic way that apparently her little self was not yet old enough to understand.

"Okay, I get it. Thanks for the help, I guess." Emma stood from her chair, and just as she started to make her way towards the door, Jem spoke up again.

"I know that's not why you came over, Emma. You had another one of those dreams again, didn't you?"

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? Review in that little box below, and tell me if you want me to continue! I'll see ya around!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm back! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Since it has not been explained how Emma's parents died, I created my own version. Again, know that this is all headcanon type stuff. Most of this probably isn't true in the slightest, but since Lady Midnight doesn't come out until 2015, we won't know for a while yet. So yeah, enjoy my theories transformed into mediocre fanfiction.**

**Warning, this chapter is really sad…lol**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot I came up with for the fic!**

* * *

Emma froze, blood running fast in her veins. Jem's question seemed to hang in the air, suspended between them. How could Jem have known? Had it been written on her face? The mere thought terrified her beyond the ability to move. So she paused, and waited, and held her breath.

"I suppose I can take your silence as confirmation?"

Emma exhaled, turning to slump back in her chair. Jem's eyes followed her, until their gazes locked. She chewed her bottom lip. "Yes," she admitted. "How did you know?"

Jem smiled. "I always know," he stated simply, leaning back in his seat. "What happened in the dream?"

Emma picked at her nails, an outward sign of her reluctance to elaborate on the subject. It was true that her real reason for coming to Jem in the middle of the night had nothing to do with Julian, but the reoccurring nightmares that had plagued her for two months now. Jem, so full of wisdom and gentle kindness, seemed the safest person with whom to open up about her fears. And yet, sitting there in the darkness, with only a small kitchen light to provide any sort of comfort, Emma felt alone and vulnerable. It terrified her.

"It was midnight," she whispered, "and I was in the ocean. I was just floating there, staring up at the stars and thinking about Mom and Dad, remembering how they died there, in those waters. I imagine I felt how they did, right before the demon dragged them down. Peaceful, calm, ready for anything. Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my ankle, and I was yanked underwater. I thrashed and tried to scream, but water filled my lungs and I choked. I don't really remember much else."

That was a lie, of course. Another lie. Just before she had awoken, Emma had heard the strangled gasps of her mother, calling out her name. But it seemed too precious, too intimate to repeat to Jem. She sighed and met Jem's eyes again, waiting for a response. Her heart hammered against her chest, all jokes and teasing forgotten. Jem blinked a few times before pressing his lips into a thin line.

"So the dream is different every time?"

Emma nodded. "It's the same outline, but sometimes I'm not pulled under. Other times, I can see the demon who grabs me. I don't really understand the significance, but…" she let her voice drift away.

Her vision blurred abruptly, and Emma gulped when she recognized the stains on the placemat as that of her tears. She was crying so hard that she did not see Jem rise from his chair to pull her out of her own and against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her into his arms, and she sobbed into his shoulder, soaking his t-shirt, though she did not care.

"Shhh..shhhh…" Jem held her up with one arm while brushing her hair from her face with the other. Emma wept until she could not breathe, and clung to Jem as if they were both in that ocean, and he was the only thing keeping her from sinking as her parents had, lost forever in the waves. The night seemed to close in around them, and Jem's warmth reminded Emma of her father, when he would hold her after a nightmare. He had always told her that Shadowhunters were strong, but that to have no moments of weakness was to have no acknowledgement of the human emotion. She hadn't understood him then. She did now.

"You are always so intelligent," Jem murmured against her hair, "and so brave that I forget sometimes that you are only a child."

Emma shuddered in his arms. "I didn't mean to cry. I'm sorry that I'm not strong enough to handle a stupid dream. Some Shadowhunter I am."

"No," Jem said, still holding her. "You know what I see when I look at you, even now?" Emma pulled back slightly to look him in the eye. Jem grinned. "I see the next great member of the Nephilim. Someone who is sympathetic as well as powerful, and as courageous as she is kind."

Emma was speechless, and she knew it was evident on her face as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. For a moment, she wondered if she was too heavy for him, as he had been holding her in his arms for quite a few minutes now. But he did not sway, and continued to stroke her hair reassuringly.

"I lost my parents to a Greater Demon as well, Emma," he said. Emma's eyes shot open in shock. "I know exactly what you're going through, because I endured the same dreams. There will always be a part of you that wishes it hadn't happened, that there could have been some way you could have saved them. I ask myself that question even to this day. Truth is, neither of us will ever know, but we have to learn to move on. The hardest part of letting go is accepting the past."

Silence made its way into the small room, and Emma feared to fill it with words. All she wanted was to forget that she was meant to be a Shadowhunter, and hold onto Jem, for just one night. To be like any other child, desperate for attention and love and comfort. Jem must have caught on, for he set her back on her feet and pointed at the bedroom on the other side of the suite.

"There's a small pull-out bed in there. You can sleep here tonight if you want." He held his hands up defensively. "Of course, that is your decision. I wouldn't want Big Bad I'm-too-old-for-juice-boxes Emma Carstairs to think I'm treating her like a little girl who cannot handle herself. The option is open, though."

Emma laughed through her tears, and hugged Jem around the waist, unaware that there was another pair of eyes watching them.

"Is everything all right?" Tessa's voice drifted into the room. Emma turned to find the brunette leaning against the doorway to her and Jem's bedroom, a small smile on her face. She really was very pretty, in Emma's opinion, and her eyes held the same aged wisdom as Jem's. Her hair was hastily thrown into a messy bun, and her clothes were rumpled, but she was wide awake.

Jem patted Emma's shoulder. "Sorry to wake you, Tess."

Tessa shook her head. "It's fine. I was just a little confused to see an empty space next to me in the middle of the night." She glanced down at Emma. "Hello there."

Emma beamed at her, hoping her eyes weren't as glassy and red as she suspected. "Hi, Tessa! How's the sleep coming?"

"It was going nicely, until I lost a certain someone," Tessa answered, meeting Jem's gaze briefly. Emma was no expert on love, but some strange spark always seemed to ignite between them when they were in the same room, and every time they looked at each other, Emma almost felt inclined to look away.

"Sorry about that, but I really needed Jem's help with some important business. _Parabatai _issues," Emma added, deciding not to tell Tessa about the dream. She wasn't yet comfortable with Jem's girlfriend as she was Jem, though she quite liked the older woman. There was something distant about her though, and Emma wasn't sure how to navigate it. "I'm sure you understand." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry for taking you two away from your weird couple time, or whatever."

Jem smirked and walked over to Tessa, kissing her forehead affectionately. Emma put a finger in her mouth and made a gagging noise.

"Did I hear Jem offer you a place to sleep tonight?" Tessa asked, leaning into Jem's touch almost absently.

Emma thought for a moment before deciding in a sudden burst of longing, "You bet, but this bed better not be one of those crappy plastic mattresses you find in cheap motels. I'm expecting some high quality sleeping experience here, James."

Both Tessa and Jem burst into laughter at the same time, in a way that starkly resembled Emma's parents when she used to joke with them. Emma felt like a hand had gripped her heart a little too tightly, but she ignored it.

"Well, I hope it doesn't disappoint," Tessa said, still smiling. Jem held out his hand, and for a second, Emma hesitated. Her head told her to change her mind, to dash out of that room before she could realize that Jem was becoming more and more like family. True family. In the end, it would only hurt her, and yet she found herself grasping his hand, allowing him to lead her to her makeshift bed while Tessa gathered some blankets.

As Emma curled up on the mattress—which was quite soft, she had to admit—Jem leaned down and softly pressed his mouth against her hair, again just as her father had once done. Emma forced the tears back as Jem whispered, "Goodnight, you little soldier."

Little soldier, indeed.

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**A/N: Well, that's that lol. Tell me your thoughts, and if you're still cool with me continuing this! Thanks for your support, guys!**

"_**The heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded."**_** –Disney's Frozen**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ****Dear oh dear, I have not updated in 30 years. I am so very sorry, but I'm finishing up my classes at my university and I really need to focus on schoolwork before I can even think about this. I had planned to update much sooner, but life got in the way. I apologize again, and hope you enjoy this belated chapter!**

**Oh, and to the person who said that Jem is much too young to be a father-figure to Emma: Jem would see Emma as a little sister, but as far as we know, Emma never had siblings, so that's not how she would view it, since she doesn't know what it's like to have that kind of relationship. Naturally, she would compare Jem to her father :)**

**Moving on!**

* * *

"You are not _still _thinking about her?"

Jem sighed as he felt Tessa's arms encircle his neck from behind. She pressed her cheek against his, and Jem could sense a smile playing at her lips. Her tone was teasing, and yet he was not in a joking mood. It had been a whole two weeks since Emma had come to him, and now he could not help but feel like there was something missing in his heart since she had departed. For nearly two months they had met up on a consistent basis, and through that time he supposed blood had called to blood, and no matter how distant that string was that connected them, Jem knew that a small part of him would always call out for his family. He knew what it felt like to love someone like a sibling—his heart would still beat faster and more painfully whenever he thought of Will—and it was because of that connection that he was fully aware of his feelings towards Emma.

"I do miss her."

"She's become like your little sister," Tessa said, running her hands up and down his arms.

He laughed and reached out to grasp one of her hands. "More like a baby duck that insists on following me everywhere. That is," he paused, trying to mask the fear in his voice, "until recently. I have not heard from her in nearly a fortnight. Do you think I'm worrying too much?"

Tessa's eyes softened when they met his. There weren't nearly enough hours in his life to allow him the time he still needed to contemplate how he ever could have been so lucky to have this chance with her. Each touch was precious to him, every smile cherished, and each kiss deliberate and meaningful. He wanted to remind her every second of every day that he loved her more than life itself, and how he would never take her or their relationship for granted. He thanked the Angel for every day he was allowed to remain by her side. And when she looked at him the way she was now, he knew with absolute conviction that his efforts were not in vain.

"What is it, Tess?" he asked her, watching her gaze shift and her brow furrow as if trapped in a sudden deep thought. She momentarily glanced away from him before shaking her head, banishing whatever it had been from her mind.

She smiled. "It's nothing. The way you treat her… well…" Her voice dropped until it was so low that Jem wondered if he merely imagined her next words. "Will and Lucie…" She promptly shook her head again, this time more forcefully. "Never mind. Forget it."

Just as she bent over his shoulder to kiss him, a loud buzzing sound erupted from underneath the bed covers, and both of them broke apart to laugh. "I forgot I had this on vibrate," Jem said, his cheeks flushed as she sifted through the sheets for his cell phone. The small thing was as much a hindrance as it was an advantage. He did not necessarily care for the world's new reliance on technology, but he quite liked some inventions, especially the iPod. And he did have to admit that it was much more convenient to send a quick text rather than a letter that could take days before receiving a reply.

"I found it!" Tessa exclaimed, producing the phone from underneath a pillow. She was grinning at the screen. "And guess who just texted you?"

Jem frowned before prying the phone out of her hands. Sure enough, a few small black words were printed in block letters on the screen: _Meet me at the beach by the LA Institute._

He couldn't help but smile fondly at the message. "Should I go?" he wondered aloud, watching Tessa as she bit her lip and rocked back on her heels. Her hesitant countenance had come so abruptly that Jem had no idea how to help her. Was she uncomfortable? Had he said something to upset her? He couldn't think what it might have been.

"Yes," she whispered. "Ask her why she has ignored you for two weeks." Tessa crawled across the bed and into Jem's lap, straddling his waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down until their foreheads just barely touched. Jem reveled in the feel of her breath against his face as she murmured in his ear, "Hurry back soon, all right?"

Jem paused and allowed himself a minute to hold her, his hands resting on her hips. She was so beautiful. He kissed her once, briefly, but lingering long enough to silently communicate to her that they were far from finished. Tessa simply laughed, her hands coming up to cup his face, her lips soft and perfect against his own.

* * *

By the time Jem made it to the beach Emma had described, there were barely any pedestrians still there. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sand under his feet with various spring colors and heats, despite it nearing November. And because of the lack of traffic, Emma was not difficult to spot.

Her bare feet were brushing the waves as they lapped up against the sand, stuck in low tide. Emma's eyes glittered as surely as the water in front of her, and her gaze was locked steadily on the wide expanse of space in front of her. Her mouth was turned down at the corners, and her hair was no longer in its perpetual knot at the top of her head, but rather falling around her shoulders in intricate tangles. As Jem neared closer to her, he had to swallow back a gasp of shock when he took notice of the three items laid out in front of her.

"What are you doing carrying around weapons on the beach?" Jem reprimanded, jogging up to the blonde girl and jostling her shoulder.

Emma seemed to finally break out of her trance, and she turned her head to glance up at him, a grin already forming on her face. She opened her arms, gesturing at the three swords lying limply in the sand. "That's what I called you for," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

"You brought a bunch of huge weapons to a mundane beach?" Jem hissed under his breath, his eyes darting around, making sure no one was noticing them.

"Yes, Jem, I am completely idiotic." Emma scowled. "You don't need to freak out. I glamoured them so the mundanes couldn't see them." She pointed at her head. "C'mon Jem, use your brain."

Jem wondered why he felt so offended, but he stifled it and said, "Explain, please."

"I was curious. Which one of these would best kill a Greater Demon?"

Jem gaped at her, hardly able to process her words. He was aware of just how horribly the death of her parents had affected her, but she couldn't seriously be considering…? After one more glance at her, he could tell by the serious lines of her face and the determined set of her jaw that it was true.

"No. Absolutely not." Jem reached down and hauled Emma to her feet, bent on taking her back to the Los Angeles Institute, even if he had to drag her. "Grab your weapons and let us go."

But Emma yanked her arm away from him, stumbling back on the sand. The setting sun was now cascading across her cheeks, tanning her face, which was crumpled with obvious hurt. "What?" she muttered. "But I can fight perfectly well! Why won't you won't help me?"

Jem knew he would regret it later, but his fear for her overcame his shame, and he exploded. "You are twelve, Emma! You cannot fight a Greater Demon! You are not even comfortable in the water. How do you expect to know how to kill a demon while struggling to keep your head above the waves?" A little boy chasing a beach ball into the ocean stopped to raise an eyebrow at the pair of Shadowhunters, and Jem flushed. Emma only knew how to glamour objects, not people. She would not be able to turn invisible, and so they had no choice but to argue in plain view. That is, unless Jem could coerce Emma back to the Institute. He lowered his voice. "Wait until you've been fully trained. When you are eighteen and capable of the task, then I will be more than willing to help. So will the other Shadowhunters. I cannot believe you were considering fighting a Greater Demon all by yourself."

Emma's eyes were hard and unforgiving. "Like you never wanted to when your parents were killed."

"That's not fair," Jem said, and his hands clenched into fists without his permission. If he had not come to her, she might have actually tried to find the demon. She could have been—no, he would not let his mind wander there. He sent his thoughts back on track. "I didn't have anyone who cared about me then. But when I met Will, and Charlotte, and everyone else at the Institute, I realized that I had more to fight for, and blindly chasing after the demon that tried to kill me would only put me in unnecessary danger and cause pain to those who loved me."

Emma was silent, and Jem could tell that she was breathing hard. _She's not even wearing gear,_ he thought miserably. _What in the Angel's name was she thinking?_

"Those who love you, huh?" she whispered. "That's fine for you, but who loves me?"

Jem's heart skipped a beat. "Everyone at your Institute," he answered honestly. "Julian…"

"And what about you?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Emma's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "That you…oh, forget it!"

Before Jem could react, Emma had scooped the weapons into her arms and bolted the other direction, her bare feet slipping on the sand and caking her shins and she drew farther and farther away from him. He could only call out a weak, "Emma," before she was entirely out of his sight.

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**A/N: Well, there you go! Kinda short-ish, but I don't have much time right now and I really wanted to update for you guys. Review in that little box below! I really wanna know your thoughts on this one, especially. See ya later :)**


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